Remain With You
by C.Queen
Summary: When Uhura overhears Kirk talking about the "Old Spock's" past she seeks out Spock to make sure he realizes that their future together is going to be very different from the one they would have had.


Disclaimer: As always I own nothing but the original characters and the situations I put all characters in. Everything else belongs to somebody else and that's just the way it's gotta be. Thanks so much for reading, hope you review and let me know what you think!

Remain With You

Strolling down the corridor Uhura paused when she heard the sound of her captain's voice. Cursing inside her head Uhura stopped in her tracks, mentally reviewing the blueprints of this deck as she searched for a way to get to her destination without having to get by Kirk. There wasn't one; unless she didn't mind going a long way that would waste valuable time and make her feel like an idiot. He would have to be standing mere feet from the lift she needed. Maybe if she waited a couple minutes he'd get on it and she'd be in the clear? Deciding to give it a couple minutes, Uhura made sure to stay out of sight, though she could hear him and the doctor easily enough.

"Well I should be getting back to sick bay." McCoy was saying, raising Uhura's hopes.

"Okay, catch ya at supper." Kirk replied with a half hearted salute. "Oh and hey, brainstorm some ideas for me, okay? I need to get her something good for her birthday."

"She hates you, you know." McCoy responded, giving Kirk a pitying look. "And how do you even know when her birthday is? You wouldn't even know her first name if you hadn't overheard Spock say it."

"I'm the captain, I have access to all her information."

Shaking his head McCoy could only marvel at how thick his best friend's head was. "One of these days she's going to push you out an airlock, you know that, don't you? Just give it a rest, Jim, she's not interested. She's Spock's and you know it."

"Maybe, maybe not." Was Kirk's grinning response, sounding very much like a kid who'd just found the hidden cookie jar. "As it happens, I asked the Old Spock about her when we were hip deep in snow and guess what...apparently she NEVER got married in his time-line AND from the way he talked about her, they were either never hooked up or it was so long ago he didn't care one way or another that I was interested in her. AND he said that of all of us HE was the only one that was married for a time, and that was to some Vulcan chick. You know what that says to me, Bones? That says to me I still have a chance with the lovely Nyota Uhura."

"Yeah, and that Vulcan chick probably died along with his planet, thus leaving him wholely single." McCoy, ever the pessimist pointed out. "And besides, that he had someone on Vulcan isn't surprising, they arrange marriages when they're just kids there. Just accept that the Vulcan's her man and get over it."

"Ain't happenin, Bones." Was his cocky reply. "I'll win her over, you'll see."

"Over your dead body no doubt."

The two men were still bickering about it when they stepped into the transporter to head to their respective work stations.

)

Oh it could be over a lot of dead bodies, Uhura thought to herself, her eyes flashing with steam practically coming off her body. When the anger wore off she was going to be in for a world of hurt, but right now anger and a sense of betrayal were paramount. Spock had been engaged to someone? Since he was a child? This was the first time she'd heard about that. Of course one could argue that this was in an alternate time, but really, how could Nero's arrival in this time period altered Spock's marriage prospects as a child? Furthermore, the idea that she apparently had meant nothing to him in that time-line was too painful to imagine. How could he just shrug off the idea of Kirk being interested in getting her naked? Sure he did that now, but he knew her loyalty to him was absolute. Not nearly as absolute as his it seemed. Yes the 'Vulcan chick' was probably dead, but she'd still existed while she and Spock had been seeing each other. Her probably soon to be ex had a hell of a lot of explaining to do!

Marching straight for the nearest computer screen Uhura ordered it to locate Commander Spock.

"Commander Spock is in his quarters."

"Thanks." Marching past the screen Uhura headed for the transporter and requested Spock's floor, all thoughts of her prior plans pushed aside. Crossing her arms in front of her Uhura had no doubt in her mind that if Kirk could see her now he'd be the one hightailing it in another direction. If her looks were half as scary as her thoughts, even a Klingon would think twice about messing with her.

Arriving at her destination Uhura exited and headed straight for his door, access the com system when she arrived to request entrance. Through the door she heard him call for her to enter, as the door slid open to admit her. Stepping inside she found him sitting on the floor on a mat, obviously in the middle of some meditation exercise.

"I will be with you in a moment." He informed her, never opening his eyes as he concentrated on his mental exercise, more aware of her than he should be. Such was always the case. When he did open his eyes moments later he was slightly taken aback by the expression on her face as she towered over him rather threateningly. What had Kirk said to her now, Spock wondered, assuming she'd come to report their captain's latest act of stupidity against her. "What has occurred?" He asked her, arching his brow in question.

"You want to know what's occured? I'll tell you what's occured, Buster. You have a lot of explaining to do and if I don't like your answers, you're harp is connecting with your head."

He'd done something? Blinking in surprise Spock could think of nothing he'd done to upset her recently. Of course he often had a different way of looking at things than humans, of which she was. "What is it I need to explain?" He asked reasonably, hoping she'd explain before she did attempt to do him physical harm.

"When were you going to tell me you were engaged, you two timing bastard?" She demanded to know, her hands on her hips as her gaze cut him to bloody ribbons.

Perplexed, since he had no idea how she could know he'd ever been 'engaged', Spock wasn't sure how to proceed. "I am no longer promised to anyone. T'Pring was killed when Vulcan was destroyed."

"And if she hadn't, what were you going to do, just dump me some day and go off and get married like nothing ever happened?"

"I would not have 'married' her until you had ended our relationship." Was his calm response, his eyes never flinching from her punishing gaze. As this was something he'd given a great deal of thought, he had his answers ready for her responses.

"Until I ended our relationship?" Now she was the one who was confused. "I don't understand."

Searching for the right way to rephrase his explanation Spock honestly couldn't see how he could be any clearer. "I mean to say that I had no intention of leaving our relationship for one with the Vulcan female my father picked out for me. I had planned to remain with you for as long as you would allow."

"You were expecting me to dump you? Why?" Of all the excuses a man came up with to explain cheating, this definitely had to be a new one for the books.

"It is a forgone conclusion. It is what is most logical."

Feeling a definite headache coming on Uhura lowered herself to the floor, tucking her legs under her since the shortness of her uniform skirt forbid her from sitting cross legged like him. "Okay, explain this to me. Did you think I'd dump you when I found out about her? Because that WOULD be logical."

"Why would your awareness of her existence cause you to leave me?"

Doing some eyebrow raising of her own Uhura gaped at him. "Because I don't share my men, that's why. When I'm seeing someone I'm faithful to him and I expect him to do the same. In fact I demand that he does."

Cocking his head to the side Spock was not surprised to hear that. "I have never been unfaithful to you." He pointed out rationally.

"You were engaged, Spock. That makes me the 'Other Woman' in this mess! That makes you unfaithful to the both of us!"

Surprised that she would raise her voice Spock could not understand her assumption. "I never took T'Pring to my bed, or for that matter felt anything but resignation when it came to our impeding mating. She would not have been...content with me for a mate and I would have most likely felt likewise. I would have taken her as my wife simply because I would not have cared who I married as that person would not be you."

"And why wouldn't it be me?" She asked softly, trying to understand.

"Because as I stated, I would not have taken her as my mate until you had ended our relationship."

Desperate now to understand Uhura's undeniably brilliant mind whirled as she tried to put the pieces together. Obviously Spock's engagement had been arranged, he didn't appear to have liked this T'Pring woman and didn't seem at all upset that she'd recently been sucked into a Black Hole. This whole argument seemed to hinge on the fact that he'd stated repeatedly that he would have remained with her as long as she would allow their relationship to continue. In other words, if she were to continue their relationship for the span of her life then Spock would never get married. He obviously saw them breaking up in the near future. But why?

"If you didn't think we'd break up because of your...cultural obligations...than why did you think I'd end our relationship. Specifically."

"You are what humans aspire to be." He answered simply. "You are intelligent, articulate and cultured, with a personable personality and love of people. You are what is considered physically attractive to human males and you have many male admirers on this ship alone. It is only logical then, that you will in the near future end our relationship to pursue one with someone of your own species who is better suited for you."

It took her a moment to get past the unexpected compliments to get to the important last sentence. "Why would you think I wouldn't think you were good enough for me?" Hadn't she shown him a in a million ways this year that he was all she wanted, could ever want? How could he think so little of her words and actions of love?

"I am...a thing of two worlds. As I stated, T'Pring was not pleased with the idea of becoming my mate as I am not a full Vulcan, and my family was and is viewed by most Vulcans as a shameful abomination. Had our fathers not been friends, it is doubtful my father would have found a family willing to unite theirs with my own. I am not wholly Vulcan but I am also a long way from being human. I posess all the qualities humans find...disagreeable with the Vulcan race and I will never be able to function with easy within their society. I have neither wealth nor position, and I possess no qualities or characteristic to make up for my lackings in genetics and bloodline. You are someone who could have anyone; it would be illogical to assume that you would settle for someone such as I. I will content myself with being your friend, and wish you nothing but happiness when the time comes." It would kill him inside, but being Vulcan did have some advantages. She'd never see how much he longed to be everything she could ever desire in a mate.

)

Staring at him, just staring at him for what seemed like hours, but was mere seconds, Uhura's power of speech had left her. No small feat, considering she was a trained linguist. Since no words would come, she would show with action. Launching herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck as they fell backward, Uhara buried her face against the underside of his jaw as they sprawled backward onto the floor. Tears running down her cheeks she simply hung on for dear life, not saying a word as she fought to find the right ones.

Laying as he was Spock hesitantly wrapped his own arms around her waist, hugging her to him since that was always what she seemed to want when she cried. He did not know what else to do, he did not understand her reaction.

When she did finally find the words, Uhura sat up so that her hands moved to brace themselves on either side of his head, their noses almost touching as they stared into each other's eyes. "Listen closely, because I am only going to say this once. As far as I am concerned, there couldn't be a man more perfectly made to fit me than you. You may not be perfect, but no one is. Not me, not you, not some perfect example of the human male. And for your information, while you've been planning your future, I've been planning mine too and you're in it. A lot. More than anyone. And if you're staying with me until the day I grow tired of you you're going to have to be around until the day I die, because that's never going to happen while I draw breath. Ever. End of story."

Reaching out a visibly shaking hand Spock carefully ran the back of his hand against her damp cheek. "There is a reason, Nyota, that everyone was so surprised that you were involved with me. There will be few in this Quadrant, much less our worlds, who will approve of this."

"They were surprised because we hid it so well. And we're going to spend our forseeable future on this ship, and no one is weirded out by the fact that I spend more time in here with you than I do my own quarters. And even if they did, I'd tell them to go screw themselves." Was her fierce response as she placed her hand over his against her cheek. "It's what we think that matters. If you want to be with me, then you better stay with me."

"I would remain with you."

"And I would remain with you." She returned, leaning forward to brush her lips against his. "And the next time you question that, remember this. A lot of humans would consider Kirk the ideal example of a superior human male, which just goes to show you how idiotic my race can be."

"It is illogical." Spock agreed, with one of his rare half smiles.

"Very. And we're so very logical, Spock."

"I am glad you think so."


End file.
